Triple-action shoe stretcher



Apri! 22, 1924. 1,491,135

J. DE PAUL ET AL TRIPLE ACTION SHOE STRBTGHER Filed May 15 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 E awoe/wliow April 22 1924.

J. DE PAUL ET AL TRIPLE ACTION SHOE STRETGHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Mayl5 1923 bri Patented Apr. 22, 1.9234.

entrain stares terns PATENT OFFICE.

J OHN DE PAUL AND THOMAS A. LEWIS, F ELLVOOD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRIPLE-ACTION SHOE STRETGHER.

Application filed May 15, 1923. Serial No. 639,109.

1 0 all who 117.712, may concern:

Be it known that we, Jenn DE PAUL and Trromns A. LEWIS, citizens. of theUnited States, residing at Ellwood City in the county oi Lawrence andState oi" Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Triple-Action Shoe Stretchers, oi which the following isa specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to a triple-action shoe stretcher, and the objectof the invention is the construction of a simple and efficient shoestretcher which can be easily manipulated or operated for stretching ashoe or boot or the like.

With this and other objects in view, our invention comprises certainnovel combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts as will behereinafter described, lllllS'. trated in the accompanying drawings, andmore particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view 01"? the apparatus constructed in accordancewith the present invention, while 7 Figure 2 is a view, in sideelevation, of the same.

Figure 3 is a horizontal, sectional view of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a vertical central, sectional view of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a sectional view, taken on line 55, Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a line 66, Fig. 4.

Figure 7 is a, line 7-7, Fig. 4.

Figure 8 is a line 88, Fig. 4.

Figure 9 is a line 9-9, Fig. 4.

Figure 10 is a view, in elevation, of the locking device. 1

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the heel portion ofthe apparatus, while 2 is the toe portion of the same. The toe portion 2comprises two upper sections 3 and two lower sections 4. The sections 3and 4 are provided with wedge block receiving sockets 5 that receive thewedge block 6 which is fastened to the outer end of the screw 7 Screw 7is rotatably mounted in the anchor device 8, and is connected, atitsinner end, by a unisectional view, taken on sectional view, takensectional view, taken sectional view, taken on versal joint 9, to thesliding shaft 10. Shaft 10 is provided with annular grooves 11 intowhich extends the bifurcated blade 12 on the lower end of shaft 13 ofthe locking device 14, Fig. 10. A. grip 15 is formed on the upper end ofshaft 13 and normally rests against the top plate 16 of the heelportion 1. The removable plate 16 is fastened upon the heel portion 1 bymeans of screws 17. A coil sp ing 18 is mounted upon shaft 13 betweenthe. plate 16 and blade 12 so as to hold the blade within a groove 11after the sliding shaft 10 has been adjusted by the operator to thedesired position by bringing the heel portion 1 and the toe portioncloser together, or further" apart, as the operator desires.

The beveled gear 19 is mounted upon shaft 10, and this gearis providedwith a key 20 fitting in the slot 21' of the shaft 10 whereby shaft 10is permitted to slide through gear 19 yet when rotary motion is impartedto the gear through gear 22 fastened to the bottom oi the; driving shaft23 and resting upon the post 22, rotar movement will be imparted to theshatt 10 for rotating screw 7 and thereby sliding the wedge block 6 backand forth between the sections of the toe, as the operator desires. Onthe upper end of shaft 23 is a handle 24 for use in rotating the shaft.I

'lhe anchor device 8 comprises a ball-like body 25 at opposite sides ofwhich project ears 26; these ears 26 extend into sections 4 to anchorthe anchor device 8 so that screw 7 will revolve therein and permit thewedge block to be adjusted longitudinally of the sections for spreadingthem apart, or permitting them to close together, as the operatordesires. Tonguesv 27 are formed upon some of the upper and lowersectlons 3 and 4, and on the other sections are sockets for receivingthe tongues Pins. 28 are formed upon some of the sections, whileapertures 29 are formed on the other sections for receiving pins 28;these tongues 27 and pins 28 tend to hold the sections of the toesecurely together when the parts are all in a closed position.Horizontal dowel pins 30 are fastened at one end in the inner end of thetoe portion and are seated in the elongated, vertical slots 31, Fig. 5,of the heel portion 1, thereby permitting of a somewhat looseconnection, for adjustment, between the heel portion and the toe portion, especially since shaft 10 is connected to screw 7 by saiduniversal joint 9.

Each upper section 3 of the toe portion is pivotally mounted, at 32,(Fig. 4) upon a lower section 4, and the lower sections a are hingedlyconnected together by pin 33.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Upon placing the apparatusin a boot or shoe the spring-pressed locking device 14.- is pulledupwardly to clear the sliding shaft 10, whereupon the operator pushesthe toe and heel portions as far apart as possible within the shoe, thenthe blade 12, of the locking device 1 is permitted" to be seated. in oneof the grooves 11, thereby holding the toe and heel portions in theiradjusted position within theshoe. Rotary movement is then imparted toshaft 23, by the operator grasping the handle 24;, and turning the same,whereupon the screw 7 is rotated to cause wedge block 6 to be drawninward, towards the center of the apparatus, thereupon causing the toesections to be spread apart for stretching the toe of the shoe. Uponreversing rotary movement of shaft 23, the wedge block 6 will be causedto move into the recesses 5, permitting the toe sections to closetogether, and thence upon lifting upward on the lock device 14-. the toeand heel then the entire apparatus may be lifted from I the shoe- Whilewe have described the preferred embodiment of our invention, and have11- lustrated' the same in the accompanying drawings, certain minorchanges or alterations may appear to one skilled in the art to whichthis invention relates, during the extensive manufacture of the same andwe, therefore, reserve the right to makesuch alterations or changes asshall fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat we claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a heelportion, a toe portion contiguous to said heel portion, said toe portioncomprising a pair of lower hingedly connected sections, a pair of uppersections pivotally connected to said lower sections, projections on someof said sections entering other sections for assisting in holding thesections together when in a closed position, said sec-- tions providedwith wedge block receiving sockets in their meeting faces, a wedge blockslidably mounted in said sockets, a screw connected' to said Wedgeblock, and manually operated means on said heel portion and pivotallyconnected to said screw for rotatlng the same and moving the wedge blockWithin the sockets.

2. In a shoe stretcher a heel portion, a toe portion having sidesections pivotally connected at their rear ends for horizontal swingingmovement and including upper longitudinally extending auxiliary portionspivotally mounted at their rear ends for vertical swinging movement,said side sections and auitiliary portions being shaped at their pointsof meeting to provide a pocket extending longitudinally through the toepor tion and having a portion tapering rearwardly, a wedge in thetapered portion of said pocket, an internally threaded bearing in saidpocket, a threaded shaft extending through said pocket and bearing andhaving its forward end connected with said wedge, and actuating meansconnected with said heel portion and connected with said shaft forrotating the shaft and drawing the wedge rearwardly and spreading thesec tions of the toe portion.

3. A shoe stretcher comprising a heel portion, a toe port-ion havingupper and lower longitudinally extending side sections pivotally mountedand having meeting faces shapedto provide a pocket extendinglongitudinally of the toe portion having a tapered portion, a wedge inthe tapered portion, a threaded shaft extending longitudinally in saidpocket and having its inner end connected to said wedge, a threadedbearing for said shaft, and actuating means" carried by the heel portionand connected With the shaft for rotating the shaft and moving the Wedgelongitudinally to spread the sections of the toe portion vertically andhorizontally.

4. The structure of'claim 3 having the actuating means" consisting of arod rot'atably and slidably carried by the heel portion and havingannular grooves and a longitudi nally extending key Way, a latch forentering a selected groove to prevent sliding of the red, the outer endof the rodbeing pivotally connected with the threaded shaft of the toeportion, a bevelled gear upon the rod in the heel section and having akey fitting in the key way, and a rotary power shaft hav ing a gearmeshing with the gear of said rod.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures.

JOHN DE PAUL. THOMAS A. LEWIS.

